Rich Morello was about to get his big break.
Beatlemania, the Broadway musical revue, needed a new Ringo Starr, and Morello was in line for the part.
Before he ever took the stage, though, the show shut down.
That could have marked the end of Morello’s dream. But when `Beatlemania` ended, Morello and Alan LeBoeuf, who played Paul McCartney for much of the show’s run, resurfaced in `Beatlemania Again,` a touring Beatles stage show that stops at the Linda – WAMC Performing Arts Studio in Albany on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Morello is the group’s manager, and he also plays the drums as Starr.
`It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun,` he said. `It’s a labor of love.`
Part of Morello’s work includes finding venues for New Jersey-based `Beatlemania Again` to perform. The group has never been to Albany, so Morello called Howard Glassman, the Linda’s manager, and made his pitch.
Glassman was intrigued. The Linda has hosted Elvis tribute bands and The Clash tribute band, he said, but it’s never had a Beatles show. He checked out `Beatlemania Again’s` promotional material and told Morello he had a deal.
`Everybody loves the Beatles,` Glassman said.
That love of the Beatles is what fuels Morello and his castmates. Morello was just a baby when the Beatles stopped touring, so he never saw them live. But he and the other members of `Beatlemania Again` have watched hours upon hours of video of Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, closely studying everything from the band’s accents to their footwear.
`All the idiosyncrasies, we try to capture,` Morello said.
That attention to detail differentiates the group from Beatles cover bands that simply play the group’s songs, he said.
Shows are broken into three acts. The first act, `Meet the Beatles,` features actual instruments and amplifiers used by The Beatles, and the cast wears the group’s signature boots and black velvet suits. The songs in the first act are from 1963 to 1966.
In 1967, the Beatles recorded `Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,` the inspiration for `Beatlemania Again’s` second act, `Sgt. Pepper.` The act includes silk costumes, makeup and facial accessories.
Shows close out with `Get Back,` which showcases Beatles’ songs from 1968 to 1970.
`It’s a pretty elaborate production,` Morello said.
`Beatlemania Again` draws all ages, and including some older folks who did have a chance to see the Beatles perform live during their heyday, Morello said. The group’s gotten plenty of compliments from young and old alike.
`They’ll say, ‘Wow, we thought you were really from England,’` Morello said.
But the real star of the show, according to Morello, isn’t the men portraying the Beatles — it’s the music itself. Morello thinks the Beatles are unmatched by today’s musicians. Their songs had a melodic quality that modern artists just can’t duplicate, he said.
`The music is timeless,` he said. `It gets better as time goes by.`
`Beatlemania Again’s` success is testament to the songs’ staying power — the group first took the stage in the early 1990s. Over the years, certain songs have emerged as fan favorites, Morello said, including `I Want To Hold Your Hand` and `Twist and Shout.`
`Beatlemania Again` will appear at The Linda-WAMC Performing Arts Studios, 339 Central Ave., Albany on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at www.wamcarts.org or by calling 465-5233, ext. 4.“